Edgar Degas

Hello. My name is Edgar Degas. I was born in the beautiful city of Paris, France, on July 19th, 1834. My family loved art, and as I grew up, I discovered that I loved it, too. I spent many happy hours at a famous museum called the Louvre, which was full of wonderful masterpieces. To learn, I would practice by copying the amazing paintings I saw there. It was my favorite way to spend the day and learn how the great artists made their work look so real.

When I grew up, my father hoped I would become a lawyer, but my heart belonged to art. It was all I could think about. So, in 1855, I decided to follow my dream and went to a famous art school in Paris to become a painter. I wanted to paint the world around me—real people doing real things. I didn’t want to paint kings or queens from long ago. Instead, I painted exciting horse races, singers in cafes, and women busy with their work.

My favorite thing to paint was ballet dancers. I thought they were so graceful and strong. I didn't just paint them on stage during a big performance when everyone was clapping. I loved showing them practicing, stretching, and tying the ribbons on their shoes. I wanted everyone to see the hard work that happens behind the scenes, before the show even starts. Around 1874, I painted one of my most famous pictures, called 'The Ballet Class,' which shows the dancers getting ready for their lesson with their teacher.

I didn't just use paint to create my art. I also loved using colorful chalky sticks called pastels. They let me make bright and soft pictures. But one of my most famous creations wasn't a painting at all. It was a sculpture I made around 1881 called 'Little Dancer of Fourteen Years.' I made her out of wax so she would look almost real. To make her even more special, I gave her a real fabric skirt and a ribbon in her hair. As I got older, my eyesight wasn't as good, so I enjoyed making sculptures that I could feel with my hands.

I lived to be 83 years old. Today, my art is in museums all over the world for everyone to see. People remember me for capturing movement in my paintings and for showing the beauty in everyday moments. I hope that when you see my pictures of dancers, you remember that hard work and practice can create something truly beautiful.